Spinal Compression Fractures

What is a Spinal Compression Fracture?

When a bone in the spine collapses, it is called a vertebral (spinal) compression fracture. These fractures happen most commonly in the thoracic spine (the middle portion of the spine), particularly in the lower vertebrae of the thoracic spine. These fractures usually lead to incapacitating back pain, a reduction in your mobility and often a decline in overall health. By stabilizing the bone (essentially gluing the fracture back together) this procedure reduces pain and allows a speedy return to an active lifestyle.

What are Some Causes of Spinal Compression Fractures?

Compression fractures of the spine generally occur from too much pressure on the vertebral body. This usually results from a combination of bending forward and downward pressure on the spine.

A common cause of compression fractures is osteoporosis. This disease thins the bones, often to the point that they are too weak to bear normal pressure. The thinning bones can collapse during normal activity, leading to a spinal compression fracture. Spinal compression fractures are the most common type of osteoporotic fractures. These vertebral fractures can permanently alter the shape and strength of the spine. The fractures usually heal on their own and the pain goes away. However, sometimes the pain can persist if the crushed bone fails to heal adequately.

In severe cases of osteoporosis, actions as simple as bending forward can be enough to cause a "crush fracture", or spinal compression fracture. This type of vertebral fracture causes loss of height and a humped back, especially in elderly women. This disorder (called kyphosis or a "dowager's hump") is an exaggeration of your spine that causes the shoulders to slump forward and the top of your back to look enlarged and humped.

Trauma to the spinal vertebrae can also lead to minor or severe fractures. Such trauma could come from a fall, a forceful jump, a car accident, or any event that stresses the spine past its breaking point.

Another cause of vertebral fractures is a metastatic disease. Metastasis is a term that refers to the spread of cancer cells into other areas of the body. The bones of the spine are a common place for many types of cancers to spread. A compression fracture of the spine that appears for little or no reason may be the first indication that an unrecognized cancer has spread to the spine. The cancer causes destruction of part of the vertebra, weakening the bone until it collapses. This is a sign that something going on internally is harming the bones.

What are Some Treatments for Spinal Compression Fractures?

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty are two procedures performed at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center that treat spinal compression fractures. They work by injecting medical-grade bone cement directly into the fractured vertebra. This cement hardens quickly and acts like an internal cast. In some cases a balloon is inserted into the fracture (kyphoplasty) to expand the space before the cement is added. This may help to restore the vertebra to something closer to its pre-fractured height. Franklin Moser, MD, Director of Interventional Neuroradiology, and Marcel Maya, MD, heads our team of imaging physicians, nurses and technologists who specialize in treating spinal compression fractures.